Can You Lose Yourself in Recovery?

Are you nervous that you’re going to lose yourself in recovery? The fear of losing yourself is a deeply embedded and scary emotion that plagues many people who are nervous about going to recovery or who are in recovery. However, losing yourself in recovery is a kind of paradox that can conflict with your thoughts about what is right versus what is wrong. Learning more about recovery and understanding that there is more to you than the act of recovering will give you the answers you seek.

You and Your Recovery

How many times have you set forth to tackle your substance use by looking everywhere to fix it? For example, you may tell yourself, “if I meet some new people, then everything should be better.” You try to fix the external aspects of your substance use before tackling the internal elements. The list of problems that you’re trying to fix is all outward instead of inward.

The problem with fixing the external components of your substance use is that it does not address the core elements of the situation. In addition, it’s not the actual solution to fix the substance use. Many people seek new relationships, ideas, jobs, and more, only to return to the substances again.

The confusion of emotions and feelings inside of you as you try to fix your substance use outwardly brings conflict when the idea of recovery is brought up. Your anxiety, sadness, or depression may get the best of you. 

How can you combat these conflicts to resolve the substance use both internally and externally at the same time? The process begins with understanding yourself. Finding a solution that works for you and helps you along your recovery path can help you shed all the toxic thoughts in your life, including the fear of losing yourself.

Can You Lose Yourself in Recovery?

When you choose to go down the path of recovery, you’re not losing yourself. Instead, you’re making steps toward improving yourself. When substances enter your body, they alter the chemicals in your mind, which changes your emotions and mindset. This influences your decisions and your overall view of life itself. Once the toxins are removed, you can place yourself in a position where you have support and guidance, and you get to reconnect with the true you.

The true you is a beautiful thing, and you are not your substance use. Many individuals feel connected to their substance use as a way of life, and the substances consume their thoughts and actions. However, once the substances are eliminated from the body, the new feelings of purpose, motivation, and drive enter the body, helping you create a new way of thinking and establishing self-worth in a positive direction. 

Substance use leads people to destructive behaviors and negative thoughts. At first, you may feel that you’re losing yourself in the beginning stages of recovery, but once the toxins in your brain diffuse or dissipate, the veil of clarity lifts. 

When you regain yourself and boost your self-confidence, you learn what a wonderful person you are. You learn that your mind, body, and spirit realign to heal you from the inside out, and this is where change begins.

Will I Experience Losses in Recovery?

There are a few things that you may find yourself losing while undergoing recovery. Some of what you may lose includes guilt, shame, procrastination, broken promises, and negative influences. These things that you lose on the path of recovery eliminate the pain and suffering that you once had. The gains from losing these things in recovery far outweigh the loss of keeping them in your life.

You are a stronger and better person when you are not burdened by procrastination, shame, guilt, and negative influences. Your life becomes meaningful again, and you gain a deeper understanding of yourself that opens your eyes to who you truly are, which is a bright and beautiful thing.

A Meaningful Life

Sobriety is an emotional state of being, but over time, it becomes easier. The first steps are hard and painful to get through. However, if you remember that these first steps are temporary, the path opens up for new opportunities and new self-growth.

Finding your way towards living a healthier and happier life does not cause you to lose yourself in recovery. Instead, it gives you guidance and a path to realigning yourself. It makes you stronger, increases your direction, influences your motivation, makes you happier, and above all else, gives you back control of your own life.

In recovery, instead of losing yourself, you recover yourself. If you feel that change is difficult or if you feel you have someone you love that is codependent on substances, understanding substance use can give you better insights on how to move toward a healthy, carefree lifestyle. Often, reading and learning more about substance use can give you a better approach to treatment options and recovery. Cutting-edge, innovative approaches from NorthStar Transitions can teach you positive habits and self-care. When learning how to express your feelings and needs, you build your self-esteem and understand the power of your self-love. Our facility teaches you to recover instead of losing yourself in recovery. Therefore, if substance use is an ongoing challenge in your life, and you want to break it to find the true you, reaching out to us today can give you a fresh perspective and a new opportunity. For more information, call us at (303) 558-6400.

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